Mammoth Cave managing Green River after dam fails

BROWNSVILLE, Ky. (WBKO) -- The Green River changes every day, but the dam failing is a big, sudden change.

"It's lower, it's moving faster, the banks are different. We think it's going to take a while for the river to stabilize in its course but then also for the banks to stabilize," Public Information Officer for Mammoth Cave, Vickie Carson said.

Mammoth Cave is also seeing some changes in the wildlife surrounding the river.

"There could be some slumping from the banks, there could be trees falling into the river," Carson said.

The Green River in Mammoth Cave has changed in many different ways and at Houchin's Ferry, some areas of the river have dipped as much as 9 ft.

"There, we had a boat launch. And it was a place where canoes could put in or take out. We just won't be able to do that, so we put up barricades there," Carson said.

The park's biggest concern is the safety of their park-goers.

"We're just going to keep assessing the river, keep watching it, observing it, and reacting to what we see and what we find," Carson said.

In the big picture, it would be better if the dam was not there.

"The free flowing water is just better habitat for species, it's better for the river, it's better for the cave, it's better for the park," Carson added.

The ramp at Houchin's Ferry is closed for an indefinite amount of time. But the campground and picnic areas are still open to the public.

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